One Missed Chance
by Guardian of the crest
Summary: It had started out so small at first......Warning! C. Death, blood, and angst!BMWW Please R


GOTC: Ok, I've spent the last oh, eight hours now reading BMWW fanfiction, and had to write one myself. I'll warn all of you now, this isn't some goody-goody feel good fic., so read at your own risk. Just be sure to review!! BTW: I don't own JL, but sincerely wish DC would have developed this relationship more…

_One Missed Chance_

The sleet came down in sheets on the quiet streets of Gotham. Thin sheets of ice were already beginning to form, giving the city a glazed crystal appearance. It was unlikely anyone would be out tonight, but Batman needed the distraction.

Two weeks. Actually , it had been two weeks, four days and twenty-one hours since Bruce had talked to Diana last. It had started out so small at first. A deal had been worked out amongst several countries of the world, that would allow several delegates to stay on the Amazons' island home. Diana had volunteered to return to Theymascara for a year, to help the newcomers settle in and learn the culture, as act as a ambassador for the two parties.

Had the offer come a year ago, Bruce would have been behind Diana all the way. It was an amazing opportunity for the world. Had the offer come _any _other time…….

He shook his head and wiped the freezing water off of his cowl. He needed to stay focused right now. The ice was making the rooftops harder to navigate, but no matter how hard he tried to wrench his thoughts away from her, the more they seemed to drift back…

--

"_You look __fine__ Master Bruce," Alfred said shaking his head, as Bruce preened himself in a way that bordered on obsessive-compulsive_

"_I just want to make sure everything is perfect tonight Al," Bruce said checking himself one last time in the mirror._

"_Master Bruce," The butler said with a chuckle, "Your suit is immaculate, your reservations have been confirmed, and the limo is waiting. The only thing left is you."_

"_Alright Alfred, I get it," Bruce said with a rare chuckle, "But did you happen to stop by the jeweler's and pick up my order?"_

"_I-" Alfred said stopping in mid-sentence, realizing his mistake._

_Bruce only laughed as his friend's normally perfect demeanor vanished in his moment of forgetfulness._

"_Don't worry Al," Bruce said tapping his pocket, "__That's__ something I wouldn't forget."_

_--_

The weather had just about convinced the Dark Knight to finally turn-in, when a rustle of activity by the docks caught his attention. He adjusted the lenses in his cowl to better get a look at the commotion going on below. Men dressed in black were hauling crates off of a barge parked at the dock.

"_**See anything you like Batman?**_" A deep voice rumbled behind him, before a massive fist caught him in the side, throwing him off the top of the building.

Almost automatically, Batman fired his grappling hook, and landed on top of a stack of shipping crates.

"_Bane," _Batman growled, "I should have figured you'd be behind this."

"_**Awww… I'm so touched that you'd think of me on a night like this,**_" Bane teased, mockingly placing one gloved hand over his rotten heart, "_**I mean, really, with your falling out with the Amazon Princess and all I just thought you'd have better things to do-"**_

Batman hurled several baterangs at the venom-fueled monster that detonated as soon as they crashed into his body. Bane reeled back, coughing and sputtering from the smoke, as Batman barreled into him, knocking him into the metal casing of the building's heater.

"Maybe you're right," Batman said cracking his knuckles, "But I think you'll make for a good distraction."

Diana looked out of the tiny window in her nearly empty room. The Earth spun serenely in space, but her thoughts were elsewhere when a knock sounded at her door.

"Sorry," J'onn apologized, "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Of course not," Diana said shaking her head and embracing her friend.

"I only wanted to say good-bye before you left for Theymascara," J'onn said laying his hands on her shoulders, " I am sorry I missed your going-away party this evening."

"Oh, it's alright," She said sitting down on the bed, "I heard about that earthquake in Japan."

"Hmm," J'onn said looking around the room, "But I wasn't the only one gone was I?"

Diana looked away sadly, unable to meet her friend's eyes.

"I haven't seen him since that night…" She said, finding it hard to say the words.

J'onn looked at her an sighed, as he patted her on the back.

"You leave tomorrow," He said talking out loud, "I could be your last chance to see him. If nothing else at least you tried."

Diana looked up at J'onn with a small smile. He didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking.

"Would you mind working the teleporter for me one more time?"

Batman just barely ducked under another fist aimed at his head, and delivered one of his own right into Bane's side, knocking the breath out of him. The giant backed off, holding his side, but still smiling.

"_**What's wrong Batman," **_Bane cackled, "_**Your heart's not in this. Could it broken?**_"

Batman snarled angrily and rammed his shoulder into Bane, throwing him off balance, then hammering into him. Suddenly, Bane spun on his heel and swung out of the way of Batman's blow. One massive hand closed around Batman's cape, and whipped him into the air, before slamming him down hard onto the roof. Batman groaned as he tried to get up, only to have Bane's heel smash down across his shoulders. Bane didn't pick up his foot, but instead knelt down next to Batman's head.

"_**That Princess broke your spirit Bats,**_" Bane chuckled, "_**I hope she won't mind if I break your body!**_"

Bane picked Batman up by the neck, and slammed him down into the roof twice, before hurling him into a stack of empty crates on the side of the dock. A searing pain suddenly pierced his whole body as the crates splintered around him on impact. Batman's vision spun as he tried to get up. His whole body screamed in pain, but a fiery agony seemed to flare up from his side. A strange, sticky warmth began to spread inside of his Kevlar suit. With a shaking hand, he carefully felt his side, finding a large splinter of wood had managed to pierce through the Kevlar of his suit. The outside was slick with blood. He tried to take a deep breath, but the pain only made his vision swim. Darkness was slowly claiming the edges of his vision and working his way inward…

--

_Diana looked like a goddess in her form-fitting red satin dress. Sitting with her at the table, listening to the music of the orchestra, he felt like a god himself. The music was wonderful, but he couldn't concentrate on it at all. Diana perked up an eyebrow and glanced over at Bruce._

_"What's wrong?" She asked with a smile, "We've been together for almost a year now, and I've never seen you act like this."_

_Bruce smiled slyly, running a finger over a box hidden in his pocket. Now was as good a time as any._

_"Well I-"_

_Suddenly, a familiar figure came through the curtain of the opera box, cutting him off in mid-sentence. And it spiraled downhill from there. Lady Hipoleyta had made a special trip from Theymascara to deliver Diana the news about the treaty. She and her mother continued on about the plans that needed to be made, the realization slowly sunk in about what the queen was asking. _

_"Wait," Bruce said interrupting, "The plan you're proposing would take almost a year just to get everything settled in and put into place for others to come later."_

_"A year isn't so long," Diana said excitedly, "Look how fast this year has gone!"_

_"Yeah…." Bruce said gripping the box in his pocket, realizing in that instant his chance had slipped away._

--

Batman coughed as the metallic taste of blood crept into his mouth. It was slowly getting harder and harder to breathe. In the back of his mind he saw Bane's shadow looming over him, before a sudden icy prison surrounded him as he was pushed into the frigid waters of Gotham Bay. The water was instantly tinged with red. A fumbling hand reached for something in his utility belt, as he saw the light of the surface slowly slipped away.

As the water closed around him, he realized the mistake he'd made. After that night, He pushed Diana away. He couldn't admit to himself how much he wanted her to stay, and needed her. So how could he admit it to her? How could he convince her, when he couldn't convince himself? Instead, he withdrew from the League, from her, and simply detached himself from everyone.

What if he had stayed? Told her how he felt? Maybe she would have stayed….

He felt a pair of strong arms pull him from the icy grip of the bay, and haul him to the shore. They weren't the rough hands of Bane or his minions, but the familiar hands of a friend. The sleet was still falling, but something warm fell on his face now. He struggled to open his eyes, and Diana's face slowly drifted into view. She was sobbing, and held his half frozen body close to hers. She ran a feather light finger over the piece of wood sticking out of his side, unsure of whether or not to pull it out.

"_D…Diana…." _Batman managed to choke out, taking hold of one of her hands, and taking a ragged breath, "I-I……..I'm …so sorry….."

Batman tried to take another breath, the air hitched in his throat, as the darkness closed in around him for the last time….

"Bruce?" Diana said slightly shaking the Dark Knight's prone body, "_BRUCE!! _Wonder Woman to Watchtower! J'onn! Get someone down here now! Bruce is hurt, and he's not breathing!"

She vaguely heard J'onn's response over the com-link, but was too preoccupied with the situation at hand. As gently as she could, she laid Batman on his back, and pressed her lips to his, trying to force life back into his body. She sat back up and pressed down hard on his chest, time and time again, growing more and more frantic as the horrible realization finally sunk in. The Dark Knight was gone. She couldn't hold back her tears, as she tried over and over again to rouse Batman. At last she collapsed across his chest, sobbing uncontrollably and still feebly trying to resuscitate him.

It seemed like forever before the rest of the League arrived. She could feel the hands of her friends try to peel her away from Bruce's body. She shook her head and refused to let go, but found herself letting her friends pull them apart. It was then she noticed something fall from Bruce's hand, as they carried their fallen friend back to the Javelin. With a trembling hand, she slowly picked up a perfect diamond ring.

--

GOTC: Whoo….Ok, this is my first JL angst, so please R&R and let me know if you all liked it!


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